Patient And Provider Perspectives http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106181748&ft=1&f=106181748 Medical bills are the No. 1 cause of personal bankruptcy in the United States. And in nearly 80 percent of those cases, patients had health insurance. A look at the problems patients face within this complicated and at times inadequate health care coverage, and also the solutions they've found. en Copyright 2013 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Mon, 19 Apr 2010 04:00:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Patient And Provider Perspectives http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106181748&ft=1&f=106181748 Majority Of Respondents Don't Trust Washington A new Pew Research Center survey finds that nearly 80 percent of respondents say they can't trust Washington, and have little faith that the federal bureaucracy can solve the nation's ills. Director Andrew Kohut tells Steve Inskeep that only 22 percent said they can trust the federal government "almost always or most of the time." Mon, 19 Apr 2010 04:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126101559&ft=1&f=106181748 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126101559&ft=1&f=106181748 A new Pew Research Center survey finds that nearly 80 percent of respondents say they can't trust Washington, and have little faith that the federal bureaucracy can solve the nation's ills. Director Andrew Kohut tells Steve Inskeep that only 22 percent said they can trust the federal government "almost always or most of the time."

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]]> Atlanta Man Sees Hope In Health Care Plan Many Americans are trying to figure out how and if the new health care law will affect them. Among them is a 63-year-old man Atlanta man who lost his job and his insurance. For months he has been trying to figure out how to get free or low-cost care. Now the overhaul may put him squarely in line for a subsidy and an affordable plan in an exchange. Thu, 25 Mar 2010 04:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125154876&ft=1&f=106181748 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125154876&ft=1&f=106181748 Many Americans are trying to figure out how and if the new health care law will affect them. Among them is a 63-year-old man Atlanta man who lost his job and his insurance. For months he has been trying to figure out how to get free or low-cost care. Now the overhaul may put him squarely in line for a subsidy and an affordable plan in an exchange.

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]]> Powerful Catholic Quietly Shaping Abortion, Health Bill Debate As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' point man on abortion, Richard Doerflinger has emerged as a major player in the health care debate, one likely to play a pivotal role in the outcome. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:48:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124522463&ft=1&f=106181748 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124522463&ft=1&f=106181748 As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' point man on abortion, Richard Doerflinger has emerged as a major player in the health care debate, one likely to play a pivotal role in the outcome.

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]]> IRS Faces Tough New Duties Under Health Overhaul The tax agency would be responsible for checking whether individuals get required insurance, distributing billions of dollars in subsidies and collecting new taxes and penalties. Fri, 08 Jan 2010 06:34:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122328889&ft=1&f=106181748 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122328889&ft=1&f=106181748 The tax agency would be responsible for checking whether individuals get required insurance, distributing billions of dollars in subsidies and collecting new taxes and penalties.

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]]> House Health Bill Would Help Pacific Island Migrants Legislation would restore Medicaid rights to citizens of the Marshall Islands and two other nations who have the unique ability to travel and work freely in the United States. Wed, 06 Jan 2010 11:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122148970&ft=1&f=106181748 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122148970&ft=1&f=106181748 Legislation would restore Medicaid rights to citizens of the Marshall Islands and two other nations who have the unique ability to travel and work freely in the United States.

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]]> A Consumer's Guide To Health Reform Now that the Senate has passed a hotly debated health care bill, Congress is headed to the next step: House-Senate negotiations in January to try to hammer out a final version. Here's where things stand and how you might be affected. Thu, 24 Dec 2009 08:12:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121857029&ft=1&f=106181748 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121857029&ft=1&f=106181748 Now that the Senate has passed a hotly debated health care bill, Congress is headed to the next step: House-Senate negotiations in January to try to hammer out a final version. Here's where things stand and how you might be affected.

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]]> Dems Move To Regulate How Insurers Spend Money The new Senate health bill released by Majority Leader Reid imposes tougher requirements on insurers to spend most premium revenues on medical care, instead of administrative costs, salaries and profits. Mon, 21 Dec 2009 08:13:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121705846&ft=1&f=106181748 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121705846&ft=1&f=106181748 The new Senate health bill released by Majority Leader Reid imposes tougher requirements on insurers to spend most premium revenues on medical care, instead of administrative costs, salaries and profits.

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]]> COBRA Help For Laid-Off May Come Before Christmas The COBRA subsidy extension now pending in Congress could be considered in the Senate this weekend. Sun, 20 Dec 2009 09:04:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121603831&ft=1&f=106181748 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121603831&ft=1&f=106181748 The COBRA subsidy extension now pending in Congress could be considered in the Senate this weekend.

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]]> Congress and Medicare: Letting Go Is Hard to Do Democrats' health plan would give agencies more power to test and expand promising approaches to holding down costs, but the question remains: Can lawmakers resist interfering in efforts that could hurt incomes of home-state providers? Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:37:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121503344&ft=1&f=106181748 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121503344&ft=1&f=106181748 Democrats' health plan would give agencies more power to test and expand promising approaches to holding down costs, but the question remains: Can lawmakers resist interfering in efforts that could hurt incomes of home-state providers?

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]]> A Locksmith's Tale And Other Health Care Stories Lou Padilla is good at fixing things. So when he broke his ankle, Padilla decided to set it himself. The locksmith didn't have health insurance, and he says he doesn't need it. Padilla tells us how he gets by without the safety net of insurance. Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2011/06/01/121158190/a-locksmith-s-tale-and-other-health-care-stories?ft=1&f=106181748 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2011/06/01/121158190/a-locksmith-s-tale-and-other-health-care-stories?ft=1&f=106181748 Lou Padilla is good at fixing things. So when he broke his ankle, Padilla decided to set it himself. The locksmith didn't have health insurance, and he says he doesn't need it. Padilla tells us how he gets by without the safety net of insurance.

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]]> Experts Weigh In On Plan To Replace Public Option Can a spinoff of the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program help some of the country's uninsured? Experts evaluate a proposal that the Office of Personnel Management, which manages the FEHBP, oversee national health plans. Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:52:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121421282&ft=1&f=106181748 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121421282&ft=1&f=106181748 Can a spinoff of the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program help some of the country's uninsured? Experts evaluate a proposal that the Office of Personnel Management, which manages the FEHBP, oversee national health plans.

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]]> Laid-Off Workers Anxious For COBRA Extension Some of the laid-off workers receiving government help to pay for their COBRA health coverage are seeing those subsidies run out. Congress has yet to vote on an extension and employers and workers are worried about the future. Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:36:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121337054&ft=1&f=106181748 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121337054&ft=1&f=106181748 Some of the laid-off workers receiving government help to pay for their COBRA health coverage are seeing those subsidies run out. Congress has yet to vote on an extension and employers and workers are worried about the future.

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]]> Renowned Ethicist Says To 'Set Limits' On Health Care Renowned medical ethicist Dan Callahan confronts the rationing controversy head-on. He says Medicare should determine what benefits it will make available, based on costs and other considerations, and then simply not pay for those that don't pass their tests. Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:58:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121283688&ft=1&f=106181748 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121283688&ft=1&f=106181748 Renowned medical ethicist Dan Callahan confronts the rationing controversy head-on. He says Medicare should determine what benefits it will make available, based on costs and other considerations, and then simply not pay for those that don't pass their tests.

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]]> Medicare Expansion Raises Hackles Of Doctors, Insurers Hospitals, doctors and insurers are opposed to allowing people under 65 to join Medicare – an idea being considered by Senate negotiators struggling to put together the 60 votes needed to pass a health bill. Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:12:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121234235&ft=1&f=106181748 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121234235&ft=1&f=106181748 Hospitals, doctors and insurers are opposed to allowing people under 65 to join Medicare – an idea being considered by Senate negotiators struggling to put together the 60 votes needed to pass a health bill.

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]]> The Big Issues Bedeviling Harry Reid To get the necessary 60 votes to pass health overhaul legislation, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid must resolve Democrats' disagreements on the public option, abortion, cost and affordability. Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:14:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121150736&ft=1&f=106181748 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121150736&ft=1&f=106181748 To get the necessary 60 votes to pass health overhaul legislation, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid must resolve Democrats' disagreements on the public option, abortion, cost and affordability.

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